Some may be wondering..."What's going on with Wycliffe while you're caring for your mom?"

Well... I was given the okay at the end of March to postpone my departure for Manila and take time to focus on my family and be here to help out. I've been really grateful for the ability to do this. Her treatment was pretty intense -- caregiving took a lot of time and energy. It was really a blessing to have the freedom to focus on that and not feel pulled and divided. Having this time has been a huge blessing to me.

My mom's treatment for her leukemia will continue for a few more months still. I've asked if I can continue to stay here in Newtown through the completion of her treatment and a bit afterwards as things settle down.

Her current treatment is done differently from her initial treatment. I anticipate having more time and energy -- and I'm eager to get back to work. I'm talking with my administrator and my future boss in Manila, trying to see if I can arrange for a remote assignment during this time. I'm grateful that there's a possibility for us to work out some arrangement that would permit me to continue to be involved in ministry and be here to care for my family.

Pray that I'd be learning the lessons God has for me during this time. Pray that I'd be using this time to His glory -- accomplishing all He has for me, becoming more like Him.

So, while I've been out weeding and such there have been moments of "Hmmmm... that's an interesting thought."

I thought I'd share some of those weed-pulling thoughts with you all every once in a while...

1 - Don't be so hasty to pull and toss.

When I see something that doesn't look so pretty my tendency is - GET RID OF IT!

My mom has a whole bunch of daffodils and other bulb-type flowers in the front yard. Well, the flower part of the plants all bloomed in early spring and what's left is a droopy, droopy mess. I wanted to yank them all out or cut them all short. They don't look pretty, so what use are they in the garden? My mom quickly told me to NOT do that. The droopy mess that was left is still feeding nutrients to the bulb in the soil. So, if we want to see the pretty daffodils in bloom next spring, I can't cut them.

I think this tendency is true in my life... the messy, hard circumstances in my life or in the lives of others, I want to quickly yank them out. Get rid of the difficult. Get rid of the messy. Get rid of the things that make life less "pretty" than if could be. But how those things often provide the growth needed in our lives.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

(For those of you curious to know what I did do... I bundled up all the stems and banded them together. They look like funny little bunches stuck in the ground. But they'll be well nourished bunches! When they dry up I'll cut them down. This was just ONE of the hundreds of bundles in our yard. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating... but just by a little!)